1. TRADITIONAL AFRICAN
DANCE
Eleanor Crowley, Marissa Sheffer, and Heather
Towery

2. Basic Facts
 African dance depicts life’s rhythms and
cycles, labors, values, aspirations, history,
economic conditions and religious realities
 The act of African dance is often linked to
the relationship between spirits and a
community.
 The steps and movement patterns vary
from culture, due to geographic and social

3. Traditional Styles of African
Dance

4. Major Historical Styles
Adzohu Agbekor
 Function was to  Performed at
spiritually prepare social/cultural
for war. events and funerals.
 Movements  Mimics battlefield
tactics such as
depicted battlefield reconnaissance,
scenes, featuring wit surprise attack and
and bravery. hand to hand
combat.

5. Social & Cultural Styles of
Dance
Togo Atsia Kopanlogo
 Women’s dance  Fairly recent form of
from the Ewes of African dance,
Togo. created in the
 Used to present 1950s.
women’s view on  The dancing is high-
social issues. spirited and often
 Dancers use performed by
horsetails in most children.
movements.

6. Traditional Togo Atsia Dance
http://youtu.be/pwrdg9fk9Ok

7. Traditional Kpanlogo Dance
http://youtu.be/3Bh9UiEpcf8

8. Other Traditional Styles:
 Anyako Atsia, dance of morality and character
 NanDom Bawa, a harvest celebration dance
 Gahu, a dance created to poke fun a
Europeans
 Tokoe, a coming of age dance for girls
 Kinka, a political dance with religious
overtones
 Agbadza, a social dance
 Ahazevu Vulolo, a dance created for fellowship
 Brekete, a social dance

9. Importance of Drums
 The dancers respond
and express to the beats
of the drums
 The message of the
dancing is clearly
expressed through the
intensity of the beat.
 Ex.In war dances, the
strong beats of the drum
represents the enemy.

10. Modern African Dance
Companies
 Hayor Bibimma African Dance Company
 They uphold the messages of traditional African
dance, and want to preserve the complexity.
 Stationed in Minneapolis, Minnesota
 KanKouran West African Dance Company
 Use traditional styles, but personalize to their
company
 Stationed in Washington D.C.

11. Hayor Bibimma African Dance Company
http://youtu.be/3YM3XQ2Hbb0

12. Bibliography
 www.dancedirectory.co.za/content/
 www.buzzle.com/articles/african-dance-types.html
 www.alokli.com/site/dances/dances.html
 http://www.hayorbibimmadance.org/media.html
 http://www.kankouran.org/cms/